Harry Potter: The Overlooked One
by SarCuppCake
Summary: AU: What would have happened if Harry Potter had grown up with his family? How different would the Wizarding World be if Neville Longbottom would have been The Boy Who Lived? Would Harry have picked up where the Marauders left off with mischief making? How will this have changed Neville as well, will he still be the same boy who is unsure of himself? Paring HHr, NLGW, ROC.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling. **

**Summary:** What would have happened if Harry Potter had grown up with his family? How different would the Wizarding World be if Neville Longbottom would have been _The Boy Who Lived_? Would Harry have picked up where the Marauders left off with mischief making? How will this have changed Neville as well, will he still be the same boy who is unsure of himself?

**Author's Note:** This story is loosely based on cannon, I know that it's something that's been done before but I don't think it's been done exactly like this. I also wanted to play on some of the parallels between Harry and his friends and the Marauders. While the prologue starts with Harry meeting his friends on the way to Hogwarts it would skip up in time to their fourth year at the school with flash backs of important events. This will eventually be a Harry Potter/Hermione Granger story thrown in

* * *

**Prologue**

James and Lily Potter were nervous as they made their way through King's Cross Station on the first day of September. They'd been waiting eleven years for this day to come, the day that their son Harry would follow in their footsteps and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had seemed like a life time ago when they'd received their letters and so much in their world had changed since then. "Mummy why can't I go?" Matilda, Harry's younger, sister asked.

"Well it's Harry's year to go," Lily explained as she smoothed her daughter's dark bobbed hair. "Besides you're not old enough."

"It's not fair." The girl sulked.

Harry looked at his younger sister, "Come off it Mattie." He said. "Just think you'll have the whole house to yourself. You'll get to have all the Treacle Tart to yourself at dinner and you'll get to play with Ginny she's not going this year either."

A wicked gleam filled Mattie's eyes, "I can play with your things whenever I like."

"Mum! Tell her that she can't go in my room!" Harry protested.

James Potter laughed as they neared Platform Nine and Three Quarters. "Alright you two, knock it off." He said as he pushed the cart carrying Harry's trunk and his pet snowy owl, Hedwig, to the barricade and stopped. "I'll go first with Harry?" he asked his wife.

Lily nodded, "I'll be right behind you with your sister." She said to Harry.

He nodded and then looked up at his dad. All summer long he'd been hearing tales of his father and mother's time at the school was. The mischief they'd caused and the trouble they'd gotten into. Often they'd be joined by James' dear friends Sirius and Remus. Of course when they'd start getting to the good stuff Lily always sent him to bed saying that he was able to get into enough trouble on his own without the three of them filling his head. The only thing he truly worried about was actually getting onto the platform. Growing up in a magical house, or his visits to Diagon Alley, hadn't really prepared him for what was to come. "Well go together." James assured Harry who grabbed ahold of the handle of the cart.

"Okay." He nodded as he looked up at his father with blind trust in his eyes. Together they pushed the cart towards the barricade and just when Harry was sure they'd smash into it they passed through the wall as though it wasn't even there.

Harry was surprised when the platform materialized in front of him. All around him witches and wizards were bustling about as they said their good-byes and helped their children onto the train. "Come on Harry you'll want to find a good seat." Lily said as she and Matilda came through the barricade.

Harry and James stashed Harry's trunk in the cargo box and when they went to find Lily and Matilda they were in for a grand surprise, a horde of ginger haired wizards clambered onto the platform with their equally ginger haired mother. The Potters had been friends with the Weasley's for years; in fact Harry and Ron had been getting into trouble since the time they could walk. After saying good-bye to their parents and promising to send plenty of owls they headed to the train. Ron was going on about how amazing of a year they were going to find but Harry's attention was drawn away. Standing alone away from the crowd was another boy. He seemed to be painfully shy and his round face was full of fear. "Who do you suppose that is?" Harry asked Ron.

Ron shrugged, "Probably a Muggle-Born."

"No, that woman with him is defiantly a witch, look at her robes." Harry said.

"I don't know. Did you hear that Neville Longbottom is supposed to be in our year?" Ron asked changing the subject as they climbed onto the train and started to look for a compartment as the train pulled away from the station.

After walking around a bit and talking to the kids that they did know, Harry and Ron found a compartment that only had two people in it. There was a girl with brow curly hair, she had her legs crossed in the seat under her and had a heavy book in her lap. The other person was the boy they'd seen at the station. "Do you mind if we join you?" Harry asked. "All of the other compartments are full."

"Um…okay sure." The boy said shyly.

"I'm Harry Potter and this is Ron Weasley." Harry said.

The girl didn't bother to look up from her book, "I'm Hermione Granger." She said. "That's Neville Longbottom."

Ron's eyes went wide as saucers as he and Harry set down across from the pair. "Are you really?"

Neville nodded his face turning red, "I am."

Harry rolled his eyes at his friend, "You have to overlook him he has no manners."

"No it's alright," Neville said, "I'm just not use to attention."

"Why not?" Ron asked. Neville Longbottom had been a household name while they were growing up. While he might just appear to be an ordinary boy, he in fact was famous among their kind. Before he was old enough to remember he done an amazing thing, he'd somehow managed to stop the most evil dark wizard of all times.

"Well my Gran though it would be best if I grew up away from everything." Neville said awkwardly.

It was clear to Harry that Neville didn't really like talking about himself, or what had happened to make everyone want to make him talk about himself. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be famous for something he could remember doing or to grow up never knowing his parents. "So what about you?" he asked Hermione.

The girl slowly looked up from her book and gave Harry an annoyed look, "What about me?"

"Well um…where are you from who are you parents?" he asked swallowing hard when he saw her death glare.

"I'm from London." Hermione said closing her book, "My parents are dentists."

"Your parents are Muggles?" Ron asked.

"Obviously," Hermione said. "They were really excited when I got my letter; see I've always been able to do things that they couldn't explain."

"My mother was Muggle-Born." Harry said.

"Both of my parents are purebloods." Ron said. "My dad though, he's obsessed with Muggles. Has a collected of plugs."

"I bet it was fascinating growing up in a magical home." Hermione said excitedly.

"So what about you, Neville?" Harry asked not wanting to make the boy feel left out. "Where did you grow up?"

"All over really." The boy said. "France, Italy, Sweden, Germany. We spent a bit of time in America but Gran didn't like it there. She thinks Americans are vulgar."

They talked on for a while about what they'd done over the summer. The more they talked the more Neville seemed to come out of his shell a bit. Harry started to realize that Neville wasn't just shy; he'd never really been around people his own age.

When Augusta Longbottom took over guardianship of Neville, she decided that it was best for him to grow up away from the spotlight that the boy had been thrust into. When he was old enough she set him down and explained what had happened in very simple terms. That his parents had died trying to protect him when Lord Voldemort had come to kill him. That something had happened, nobody was quite sure what, but he hadn't been able to kill Neville. When he tried to kill him as a baby the spell rebounded on him. He knew that he was famous, famous for something he couldn't even remember. More than anything he was just glad that nobody seemed to want to make him talk about it.

What happened, unknowingly, was that Fate knew what she was doing the day she put them in the same box car.


	2. Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday Ever

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling. **

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who's reading, reviewing, adding this or me to their alerts, and favoriting. To be honest I was a little nervous when I posted the prologue I didn't know how well it was going to be received. The idea of what Harry would have been like had his family lived has always been one that I've wondered about, and I'm sure many of you have as well. It actually took me a year to figure out how it would be possible to make it work. I've been throwing ideas around for a while I just couldn't get a cohesive idea about it. I thank my boss who made me fold jeans for hours which caused the idea to pop into my head. Believe me it did, in vivid Technicolor. For anyone who's curious about whom I envision as Matilda Potter, I see her as Georgie Henley, there are pictures on my profile as well.

To Pawsrule (who's been with me throughout all of my Harry Potter stories) and Dorienn: I can't picture Neville Longbottom as a douche bag. Because I think that there is something pure and sweet about him I wanted to keep him as close to the original character as I could. Obviously it will be impossible to keep it up through the whole story but I still indent to try. Being _The Chosen One_ isn't something the Neville in this story is proud of, which is something I think we'll come to see as the story progresses.

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday Ever**

**~Four Years Later~**

Harry was sitting in his bedroom attempting but not succeeding in doing his summer homework. There was just too much clouding his mind. For some reason more often than not his eyes kept drifting up to the picture taken at the end of the previous year. It had been taken by little Collin Creevey, a Gryffindor student that was a year younger than him, it was of him, Hermione, Ron, and Neville up in the Astronomy Tower and they were all smiling and laughing. If he was honest with himself it was Hermione that he was looking at. Though he and Ron had a bumpy start with the brilliant Muggle-Born witch something happened in their first year that formed a solid friendship between them. After all fighting a fully grown mountain troll in the girl's toilet was more than enough to form a friendship. Over the three years that they'd known each other something had happened somehow the way he looked at Hermione had changed. When his bedroom door was pulled open he pushed himself quickly away from his desk and looked at his sister. "What were you doing?" she asked eyeing him suspiciously.

Harry gave her a confused yet guilty look, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a terrible liar, Harry Potter." Matilda said plopping down on his bed.

"What are you doing in here anyway?" he asked.

"I've come to warn you, Mum just got an invitation to go to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's." Matilda said. "You're never going to believe when."

Harry paled, "No…not on my birthday." He said but the look in his sister's eyes said it all. "Mum couldn't have seriously accepted."

"You know how she is when Aunt Petunia writes." She said.

If there was anything Harry and Matilda hated more than double potions classes in Professor Snape's dungeon it was visiting their mother's sister and her family. It was something that didn't happen often but when it did, it was enough to leave lasting impressions on them. For some reason Petunia and Vernon liked to look down their noses at Lily and James, for stupid things. Like the fact that James was unemployed, it didn't matter that James came from a wealthy old Wizarding Family and that he was able to support his wife and children in a comfortable lifestyle. Vernon and Petunia felt like the Potters and everyone like them was a bunch of unnatural weirdoes. This dinner was a farce a way for Petunia to keep from feeling guilty about writing her sister off because, in their opinion, Petunia was jealous that Lily had been special while she wasn't.

Harry didn't say anything more, he pushed himself from his chair and walked down stairs, "Please tell me it's not true." He said.

"Now Harry you know your mother doesn't get to see her sister often." James said though he too felt much the same as his children about Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley.

"But it's my birthday." Harry said with an almost desperate tone to his voice.

"And we'll still be able to celebrate it." Lily promised, "We actually have a big surprise for you but we were going to wait until tomorrow to tell you." She looked over at James.

"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well you know that the Quidditch World Cup is being held here in England." James said, "Arthur Weasley and I managed to get seats in the top box."

Both Matilda and Harry's eyes widened, "They're supposed to be the best seats in the stadium." Harry said.

"Hermione and Neville will be joining us as well." Lily said.

"You're giiiiiiirlfriend is coming." Matilda said nudging her brother with her arm.

She laughed when his face turned beet red. "Hermione is not my girlfriend." He said glaring at his sister.

"But you want her to be." Matilda teased.

Lily and James exchanged a smile, "Mattie stop teasing your brother." Lily said.

"Hermione and I are _just_ friends." He said, "Why is it impossible for people to believe that a bloke and a girl can just be friends?"

"It's not hard at all." James said putting his hand on his son's shoulder.

The next day as Harry and his family loaded into their car (they only used Muggle transportation for two reasons, going to King's Cross Station to load the train to Hogwarts and to go to the Dursley's) to head out for an evening of what promised to be pure torture. The drive to 4 Privet Drive hadn't been all that bad, both Harry and James talked about the upcoming World Cup while Lily and Matilda talked about new robes for school. Before any of the Potters were ready, the car was pulling up in front of the boring house, on the boring street, in the boring village. James looked over his shoulder at his children; both of them looked like he was taking them in for mass torture. In some ways he felt that was exactly what he was doing. When Lily climbed out of the car he said, "I tried to get your mother to let us bring along your Uncle Sirius your mother was afraid that he'd pee on your Aunt Petunia's rug." He said making a joke about his best friend's Animagus dog form.

Both Harry and Matilda laughed as they climbed out of the car. "Maybe if we're too odd they won't invite us back next year." Harry whispered to his sister.

"Challenge accepted." Matilda grinned wickedly as they shook hands.

Lily raised an eyebrow at her children, "What are you two up to?"

Matilda gave her mother a completely innocent look, "Nothing Mum."

Neither Lily nor James believed their daughter, "Best behavior you two." James said.

"Of course Dad," Harry said.

Lily knew her children were up to something. They'd inherited their father's ability to create mischief without even thinking about it. She just hoped that they could get through the evening without anything happening. She knew that it was asking a lot of her family to endure her sister's family and their snide remarks. Petunia might be able to cut family off but she'd never be like that. Still as they walked into the house she felt deep in her stomach that something was going to happen.


	3. Chapter 2: The Chocolate Sauce Incident

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling. **

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who's reading, reviewing, adding this or me to their alerts, and favoriting. It really means a lot to me as does your feedback.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Chocolate Sauce Incident **

There was an overly sweet smell of chocolate that perfumed the air as Lily Potter drove her family back to Godric's Hallow. She gave the three chocolate covered people riding in the back a death glare. She was furious at how her family had behaved at her sister's home. She knew that she asked a lot of them when it came to dealing with Petunia and her horrible husband and son. "You're all grounded for life." She said.

"Now Lily-" James started.

"Don't you, 'now Lily me' James Potter!" Lily snapped. "We'll be lucky if they ever invite us back."

"And you see that as a bad thing mum? Dudley is a terrible person." Harry said.

"Yes he's terrible, but he's still family." Lily said.

"Family shouldn't ask you to be something that you're not because they're jealous." Matilda said.

"I know they shouldn't Mattie." Lily said.

"And they treat you terrible." James said.

"Did you know that Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and Dudley tell everyone dad is unemployed and a drunk?" Harry asked.

"They also tell everyone that the reason they have to have us round is because Dad won't work and it's the only time they can be sure that you, Harry, and I are looked after?" Matilda added.

"I'm not making excuses for their behavior-" Lily started.

"Actually you are, love." James pointed out. "She's your only sister and we get that but it's really not fair to the children to make them hide who they are. Especially considering your sister and her family already know the truth. You act like they used curses on them, it was only a bit of chocolate?" he licked some from the tip of one finger. "Exceptional chocolate."

"It was a chocolate volcano." Lily snapped.

"Did you see the look on Dudley's face, you'd have sworn he died and gone to heaven." Harry laughed.

"IT'S NOT FUNNY HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Lily yelled.

"You're right mum, it's not funny. It's bloody hilarious!" Matilda said causing James and Harry to laugh.

* * *

The smell of chocolate still lingered even after it had either been washed or magic away. It took a day or too but Lily finally came around, and the Potter home was once again at peace. Before they knew it, the Quidditch World Cup was right in front of them. The morning before Neville Longbottom arrive at the Potter's cottage along with Augusta, his grandmother. "Now James are you sure it's not too much trouble from him to go with you and Arthur?" she asked her hand was gently resting on her grandson's shoulder. "I know how much mischief the children get into up at that school."

"He won't be any trouble at all." James assured her. "And won't have any trouble from them, besides we'll be joined by his two older boys and Sirius and Remus will be along as well."

Augusta gave James a rare smile, "And that's supposed to be comforting?"

Harry and Matilda could tell by the way Neville's eyes were cast at the ground that he was getting embarrassed over the fuss that his guardian was giving James. "Gran please?" he grumbled.

"Don't you be 'Gran'ing me young man." Augusta scolded her grandson.

"I understand your concern." James said. "We'll make him send an owl once we arrive if that would help."

Augusta nodded, "That won't be necessary James, I know he's in good hands. These are strange times we're in strange times indeed."

"They are." James agreed. "Even Dumbledore is starting to worry. Had an owl from him just yesterday he's considering bringing Mad-Eye out of retirement."

"The Auror?" Harry asked as he looked between Mrs. Longbottom and his father.

"Yes." James had said. The kids had grown up around Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody. The man had come round to dinner anytime Lily had invited him always bringing along with him his tales of catching Dark-Wizards.

Harry gave his sister a look and wasn't surprised when he recived back his own look of confusion. "But why?"

"Never you mind." James said. He knew better than to say too much in front of the children. He knew that they knew too much and had seen too much already with the incident the year prior with Peter Pettigrew. In the years since Harry had started Hogwarts he and his band of misfit friends had gotten themselves into one scrape or another. They reminded James so much of his own years at Hogwarts. "Why don't you and Matilda take Neville up stairs settle him in, yeah?"

"Alright," Matilda said. "I still have to finish packing."

"Exactly how much do you plan on taking?" Harry asked. "I only shoved a few pairs of jeans in a rucksack."

Matilda gave her brother and exasperated look, "I'm sorry I can't just shove a few things into a rucksack. Besides we have no idea how long the match will last. It could be days or weeks."

"I hope it's weeks." Harry said his eyes gleaming with a faraway look behind his glasses.

Matilda laughed at her brother, "As long as Ireland wins it doesn't matter to me how long it all lasts."

"I'm still torn." Harry admitted. "I mean of course I want Ireland to win but I can't wait to see Krum fly. I hear he's amazing."

"Traitor." Matilda teased her brother.

"I'm not a traitor. I said I wanted Ireland to win didn't I?" Harry asked.

"Why don't the two of knock it off?" James asked in a good natured voice.

After Neville said good-bye to his grandmother he followed the Potter children upstairs. "So tell me about this chocolate volcano?" he asked.


	4. Chapter 3: Come Together

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter/Wizarding World. They were all created by the genius that is J.K. Rowling. **

**Author's Note:** **Thanks to everyone who's reading, reviewing, adding this or me to their alerts, and favoriting. It really means a lot to me as does your feedback. You all never cease to amaze and humble me. **

**Chapter 3: Come Together**

The next day Harry, Neville, and Matilda made their way into the Potter's sitting room carrying with them the things they felt they couldn't possibly live without for a few days. While they knew that they would be taking a Portkey to the World Cup itself they were leaving a day early to join the Weasley's and Hermione at the Burrow. "Now you're sure you have everything?" Lily asked the children.

"Don't worry Mum we'll only be gone for a few days…a week or two at the most." Harry said adjusting the strap of his lightly packed rucksack.

"Besides Mrs. Potter I'm sure that Matilda has packed enough for us all." Neville teased.

Matilda rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry I can't possibly pack as light as the two of you. It's this condition I have you know…it's called being a girl."

"Is that what you are Mattie?" Harry asked with a grin, "I was actually starting to wonder."

"They do have a cure for that right?" Neville asked.

"Alright you lot knock it off." James said with a good natured grin. It never escaped his notice that the more Neville was around his children the more the boy relaxed. He knew that Augusta Longbottom did what she could with the boy, that she'd done things to make sure he was safe. James couldn't help but wonder if all of the isolation she'd put him through over the years had maybe done as much harm as good. It was one of the reasons he was so relieved that the older woman agreed to let Neville spend time with them over the summer holidays. He it was during these times that he was actually able to be a child.

"Are you sure that you and Arthur can handle the lot of them?" Lily asked giving her husband a skeptical look.

"They won't give us a bit of trouble." James assured her. "I already told them if they do I'll hang the lot of them up by their thumbs in the basement."

"Alright then," Lily finally conceded. "While you're gone Molly and I are going to pick your school things up in Diagon Alley. Merlin only knows when that match will be over.

"I hope it lasts a while." Harry said excitedly. As the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch House Team he lived and breathed all things about the sport.

"Me too," Neville said, "Could you imagine if it lasted until the term started?"

"Can't we finish this up at the Burrow?" Matilda asked she was anxious to see her friends. IT didn't matter that it had only been a few days since she and Ginny had last hung out. Of course if she was honest with herself Ginny wasn't the only Weasley she wanted to see. For as long as she could remember she'd had a budding crush on Ron and while he'd never really given her any reason to hope that something might change between the two of them it didn't mean she couldn't hope that one day he might see her as something other than an annoying little sister.

"Yes, let's get going shall we?" James asked picking up the pot of Floo Powder and wrangling the children towards the fireplace.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were out in the garden watching as Crookshanks, Hermione's cat chased the gnomes that infested the Weasley's garden. It was quite peaceful outside if you could get past the sounds of Fred and George blowing things up in their bedroom and Percy yelling at them to keep the noise down. He kept mentioning something about caldron bottoms. Though Hermione had always favored the ambitious Weasley, lately he seemed a little on the stuff shirt pompous side since he got the job working at the Ministry of Magic. Ginny swore to Hermione that she'd even heard her brother in the bathroom practicing his acceptance speech for when he was elected the youngest Minister of Magic. "So exactly what are they doing up there?" Hermione asked when another 'boom' rattled the window of the twin's bedroom.

"I've no idea," Ron said with a shrug.

"They'd been at it for ages though, you kind of get use to the sound after a while." Ginny explained.

"I can't imagine how." Hermione said. Of course the Muggle-Born part of her had always wondered what it would be like to grow up in a Wizard house. While she could no longer picture her life not being a witch, there was still something that seemed a little tame about going to her non-magical home during holiday. Part of her wondered if she would eventually lose the connection between her Muggle family in the same way that Lily Potter had with her own family. Hermione's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a crash from inside of the Burrow this time it came from the den rather than the Twin's bedroom. She turned to Ginny and smiled, "I think they're here."

Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all ran into the living room just as the Potters long with Neville poured into out of the fireplace. To the casual observer it looked like they hadn't seen each other in years rather than a handful of days. "So what's this we heard about a chocolate sauce incident?" Hermione asked with a wicked grin.


End file.
